


Lessons

by Indig0



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Lessons with Taako, Not just magic, pov taako, stream of consciousness at first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-11-28 09:19:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11414886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indig0/pseuds/Indig0
Summary: So the little nerd wants to learn 'wizardly magics,' huh?Sure, why not?There's more to it than that, though, bubbo.





	1. Wizardly Magics

Wizardly Magics

 

Okay, but seriously, does this kid live under a rock? How has he never seen the finger-wiggle thing? Or the got-your-nose trick? He’s supposed to be this… this super whiz kid, and he doesn’t recognize the most basic sleight of hand tricks made for toddlers? ‘Wizardly magics!?’ What the actual fuck? When I was that age –

No. No, no, no. Nevermind when I was that age. I knew different tricks. The finger-wiggle trick caused by broken little bones. The broke-your-nose trick. Minor things like that. 

That didn’t happen to me. Never happened, I was too quick. Taako’s never been a fool, he just plays one on TV. It works, ya know? I can’t – gods, I can’t know everything. And listen, people think I’m a simple idiot wizard, they let down their guard. Do things for me. Don’t watch what they’re saying. Makes life easier for me, gives me time to pick up what I need and move on. Kid hasn’t learned that yet, I guess.

I may not be the world’s greatest detective, but let’s see what I can put together here: Independent little human traveling alone on a train. To see his grandpa who’s dying – probably dead by now, let’s be real.

Kid’s a massive bully target. Face got all hard when Magnus grabbed his book and threw it to me. Yeah, he knows what Monkey In The Middle is, all right. Nerd like that, I bet he got beat up at least every week at genius school. Knows how to call for help, though. And expects that some stranger’ll help him. Or maybe just figured he could bluff us on that. Can’t quite figure if the kid’s too naiive or… not. Hm.

And he said he liked magic tricks before. Sure seemed pretty stoked about little shit that’s not even magic. And damn, is he eager to please. To prove himself. To make somebody proud of him, anyone. That’s the sad part, really. Don’t know how he made it this far like that.

Huh. I wonder.

Shit, nothing better to do, why not. Maybe it works out, maybe I knock him down a peg or two. Either way, it’ll be good for the little dweeb. He thinks he’s hot shit, let’s see if he can back that up.

Let’s see what he’s got.

 

.................................................................................................................................................................

 

Gods, this kid is such a dork. Comes in wearing his fancy-boy suit like fucking… tiny grandpa, or whatever look he’s going for, with this tiny fucking wand on a fucking lanyard around his neck that he probably made himself – looks like some kind of Dire Bear Scout friendship bracelet shit – treats it like it’s solid gold, and this is the lamest wand ever, mind you. No style. Probably mass-produced by gnomes in some fantasy sweatshop or something. But he acts like it’s some super powerful artifact. Said Leon gave it to him. Gave it to him, not got from the fantasy gachapon machine. That won’t do, not for my apprentice.

Well, no, let’s not go that far. ‘Apprentice’ is like… years’ worth of commitment. ‘Pupil’ might be more… more accurate. But anyway. Not for this kiddo. He’s already got the fashion sense of a senior citizen, kid needs all the help he can get.

And… and those macarons, I… I don’t know why… I made them over and over, I tested them every time, I was so careful, I thought… I thought they’d be okay, but…

But wonder boy here just sat under the Candlenights bush eating them all alone, nobody watching him in case… in case something happened, and if he’d… if…

Well it won’t happen again, I can tell you that. It was a mistake. It was… Well. Just. Never again, that’s all. Never, ever again.

When he made some, I almost… I almost couldn’t do it. Time to back out, Taako’s good out here. Like, literally outside, away from all edibles and small, fragile children.

But I cast Prestidigitation to hide my shaking legs and hands and soul, and took a bite. I mean, shit, I can’t just run out on the kid. I mean, I could. I can do whatever I want. Turns out, I don’t want to. Besides, he’s like, the smartest kid in the world.

Good texture. Zero taste. Like, at all. Because he forgot the sugar. And there I am, still shaking, but it’s fine, everything’s fine. Gotta tell him how good the texture was, I can’t – he needs to know. That’s the hard part. That’s what counts. It’s his first time, it’s fucking impressive. And everybody makes mistakes their first time. Nobody died over it, no big deal. No big deal.


	2. Wand Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for this kid to get a real wand.

Lessons went well, the kid’s a natural. Bit of a perfectionist, but it does him good to not be the best at some things. I was the same when I was learning. Of course, for me it was do it right or starve, most of the time, so I had motivation. Ango’s got his own motivation, though. Still can’t shake the need to please, no matter how I try to get rid of that instinct. It’s not gonna help him. But that little sucker doesn’t give up.

Once he was pretty good casting a few cantrips, I told him to bring that silly wand of his along. Listen, he brought that thing every time, he thought I didn’t know, but not much gets past this dude. The first time, I made him put it down and walk away from it. A wand’s a nice tool, but ultimately it’s a crutch to lean on, and he’s got to learn that the magic’s in him, not in some stick.

But okay, now that he’s got it, he’d better damn well learn to use any tool available to him. So we worked on wand usage, channeling power, that kind of thing.

The next lesson, I told him to bring it again. And I snatched it, and I cracked it in half and threw it away. You’d think I told him he was a hopeless failure. He was starting to cry, so I had to be fast.

“Listen, Agnes, you trust me?” That’s the worst question, why does anyone ever ask that question, the answer is always no.

“I – I did, sir, but… but why… that’s my wand, sir, you said I should use any tools I can! Why – why did you break it?” He sniffled and swiped his sleeve over his eyes, then wiped his nose with his handkerchief.

“And haven’t I told you how well you’re doing?”

“Y – I mean, yeah…” He trailed off, eyes widening, and all the blood left his face. “S-sir, I can… I can get better, I’ll practice e-every second of the day, I won’t sleep, I can do better, I promise, I –“

“Stop! Stop.” Geez, this kid needs to relax. That’s the next lesson, I swear. “You’ll ruin your shirt.” Though honestly? He could use a clothes shopping trip, too. He just needs help in general. “Listen. You’re doing fine. Top notch, really. But you know what’ll hold you back?”

He sniffled and shook his head.

“Inferior tools. You can pick up a wand anywhere, and you can work with it, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. Where’d Leon pick that piece of junk up?”

“U-um… he said a… a really powerful wizard… got it from the Fantasy Gachapon… and then left it. And he couldn’t put it back in. So I… I just asked if someone else could use it, and he gave it to me!”

“Doesn’t sound like Mr. Can’t Bend the Rules. But in any case, the first guy knew it wasn’t any good, that’s why he left it. You think you can be a Supreme Wizard with some other thug’s leftovers?”

“I – it’s all I’ve got, sir!” Angus protested, still rubbing at his eyes.

“Well that’s what today’s about, so look here, Angus!” My arm swooped down, and a blanket spread out on the floor, covered in spell components and all the bells and whistles to make a kickass wand.

The kid’s eyes got huge. “W-wow, sir! This is amazing!” I patted the blanket across from me, and he hurried to sit down. “Is… is this what you did? To make a wand?”

It took me a quiet, tight-chested second to answer. “I’ve got my Umbra Staff, my dude.” Nice and chill, and calm as a… as a clam. Sure, why not.

“Yeah, but – but Magnus said you picked that up in – just before you joined the Bureau! You had a wand before that, right? Or did you have a staff?”

“Magnus sure says a lot of shit about me for being a completely separate person. …Nah, I had a wand.” Not my own, but I took it, didn’t have anything given to me, and he didn’t deserve it, no one deserved anything I didn’t have, anything I could take from them. I deserved it, I needed it, I made it mine and he didn’t even wake up, so it couldn’t’ve been that important to him, couldn’t’ve been really bound to him. I took it and I left and I never looked back, and I made it my own, because it was slow and sluggish and reluctant. I just had to have a stronger will, and of course I had a stronger will than some stick. I could force it to accept me, to work with me, to stop resisting.

Except I couldn’t. It took ages, and I did most of my work without a wand, which was probably better, learning-wise.

The kid was staring expectantly, so I cleared my throat and looked down at the spread. “Okay, so… so first you pick out the diaphysis of the wand. The shaft.” I had to pause. 

His expression didn’t change. Maybe in a couple years he’ll get that kind of humor. “Anyway. I’ve got a small selection here, but any should do. Wood’s the most common material, but you can also use bone or horn… um, I’ve heard of some wizards using stone or metal, or even… other artificial materials, but… well, that’s much more advanced stuff, and very… very tricky to work with. You need some flexibility, you know? And listen, I’m… well I’m, like, um, pretty fucking great, and I wouldn’t mess with that. It’s a good way to blow off your own face. Is that what you want, Agnes?”

“N-no, sir!” He was shaking, poor kid. I could make him cry with a word. Any word, in the right tone.

“Good, just remember that. Now. I prefer wood, and here’s why. Bones and horns and stuff – they belonged to something sentient. See this antelope horn?” I picked up a long, thin, ribbed horn. “Oryx. Pretty valuable, and could make a nice strong wand. But that came from an animal, and it’s got its own… personality. Weird quirks. I don’t trust them.”

“W-would they turn on you, too?” Angus quavered. “Like a metal or stone wand? Like… like your…” His eyes strayed to the Umbra Staff, lying on the edge of the blanket. The fabric might have moved slightly.

“Wh- no. No, not like that. But they fight harder than wood-based wands, and honestly, who has the time for that? Now Merle might argue, and say plants have just as much personality as animals, maybe more. And some of them, sure, but not what we’re using. Old trees, but still vital. Always hardwoods, never ever use a soft wood. I mean, you can make a wand from paper in a pinch… but why? It won’t last for more than one spell, if that, and if you can’t do something without a wand, you can’t do it at all, understand?”

“Yes – yes sir, I do! I’ll always be prepared, and I want a really good wand!” the boy said eagerly.

“Of course you do. So I’ve got a few blank wands here – oak, walnut, and cherry. You take a look, give ‘em a feel, see what speaks to you. Not literally, Agnes, I mean what feels right.”

Angus reached for the oak, then hesitated. “What if… what if none of them speak to me?” he asked, and it was so quiet and open that damn, again, I could just crush this kid without even trying.

“Then I’ll do some transmutation, and we’ll keep trying.” I shrugged, keeping it light, keeping it distant, no need to say more than that. “I haven’t used any spell slots yet today. No sweat. Go for it.”

He hesitantly picked up the oak wand, turned it over, swished it around gently, then put it back. “I’m not… really sure what I’m supposed to be feeling,” he confessed, glancing up uncertainly.

“Oh, you’ll know.” I let my eyes grow distant and misty. “You’ll feel a rush of energy, a glow that resonates between you and the wand itself, a song only you can hear…”

“Really!?”

“No. Honestly, they’re just sticks at this point. Just grab one you like.”

He picked up the walnut wand and the cherry wand, and tried them both out. “I… I guess I like the color of the cherry wand…”

“Good choice.” It was my old wand, that I had before the Umbra Staff. I was hoping he’d pick it. “You happy with that, little man, or want to see more?”

“Um – I guess if they’re all… basically the same, this one’s fine.” He stared at it for a moment. “It… I think it does feel different. It feels good!”

“Of course it does. Because it’s right for you. It’s, ah… lacking something, though.”

His eyes are just so big and curious. “What’s that, sir?”

“Flair. Style. Something… something extra.” I stared critically at the boy, who squirmed uncomfortably.

“L-like what?”

What… I smiled suddenly, and quickly plucked a couple hairs from his head. He yelped and covered the spot with his hand, but I was already rifling through a bag, pulling out a handful of gems, laying them on a dark cloth, carefully mixing in the hairs… It took a few minutes, but the shape began to form under my hands.

“Okay Ango, keep holding your wand.” My long, elegant fingers wrapped around his short, chubby ones and carefully stuck the wand into the shape. “Hold it there for a second… There! Good. That should do it, take a look.”

I let go, and he slowly raised his wand. On the tip there was a star. It was mostly a soft golden, but had bits of every other color scattered throughout it. Angus’s eyes were huge, and started tearing up.

“W-wow, sir. I don’t… I don’t know what to say!” he breathed, turning it over with gentle reverence.

“Perfect.” This was running long, and I was tired of it already. “Now put it away, it’s time to practice. Today’s lesson is Identify, and we’ve got plenty lying around to practice on. Should be right up your alley, kiddo.”

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................

The following week, Angus brought his cherry wood wand back. “Now, the next… the next thing we’re going to do is… is to put an activation spell in it. You can put just about anything in it, but I find… ah… especially for your first wand, it’s best to just… keep it simple, you get me? Simple, and… and multifunctional. I’m talking Light, Detect Magic… um… something like… Message, or Silence. Prestidigitation, probably. Oh, Identify, you got pretty good with that.”

So I never went to wand-making school, is that a problem? I did just fine without it, I know the basics. Pretty much. Doesn’t give the kid the right to give me that look.

“Okay, um… what… what have you seen other wizards… use as an activation spell?”

Damn kid’s onto me. “Well, Light and Detect Magic are… probably the most common. That I’ve seen. Um. Killian has Featherfall in her feather duster, which of course doesn’t really count. Not a real wand, you understand.”

He looked worried and uncertain, but nodded. “O-okay. Well. I guess Light would be useful, for all kinds of things!”

“Exactly. You can work on adjusting the brightness and range once it’s in. So just… just take your wand and grasp it firmly.” I tried to keep it together, I really did, but I mean, come on. Angus rolled his eyes, grabbing his wand.

“That’s… that’s gross, sir.”

“Okay, but you have to admit, it’s funny too.”

“Um, I don’t… no, just gross, sir.”

“Whatever you say. Anyway, grasp it so your hands are together, like you’re… praying around it. And cast Light. You’ve done that before.”

He did, and the light burst out from his hands, squeezing and bursting out around his stubby little fingers. I quickly covered my eyes.

“Very good, very… radiant,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes. The light quickly dimmed.

“W-was that… good enough?”

“Good enough, I suppose,” I sighed. “Turn it off, now, Agnes.”

The light was gone, and the boy stared at the wand. “…It doesn’t look any different.” He seemed so disappointed, and small. I don’t know why I mussed up his hair, it just happened.

“No sweat, little man. You don’t want your wand glowing all the time. I’m sure it took.” I haven’t used it in ages, and that’ll start it attuning to him.

He smiled uncertainly. “O-okay, if you say so, sir.”

“I do. I – I just did, Angus, try to keep up. Now! The next few months are going to be about… bonding with that wand. Forming an attachment, attuning it to… to you. So! It doesn’t leave your person. It should be touching your skin at all times, but if it has to go in your pocket, so be it. I’m talking when you’re eating, sleeping, showering, walking around – always.”

“For how long?”

“Months. About three months should do it, that’ll be more than enough. Just to be safe, hm?”

“Okay… is that all?”

“Of course not! It’s not that easy. You’ll have to practice every spell you know every day. A couple times a day. At least. Gonna be real tough on your spell slots, you might have to take a nap after lunch. Lots of sleep, and lots of food and water, got it? You’re not gonna have any energy to spare, so passing out because you’re not taking care of yourself isn’t an option. And at least for the first month, I don’t want you using the wand to cast the spells. Just have it on you. You can even talk to it if you want. …When you’re alone, don’t make it weird.”

“What… what does that do?” Angus had pulled out a little notebook and was frantically scribbling in it.

“Just what I said, it attunes the wand to you. Gets it used to you slowly, gives it time to get to know you, so to speak. Then after the first month, you’ll start casting with it, just gradually. By the third month, you’ll be using it every time.” That sounds good, right? Lots of practice, lots of repetition, he loves that kind of thing. Great, perfect. “…Now, let’s go over what you’ve learned so far, we’ll get you started.”

“A-are we going to work on a new spell today, sir?”

“What? No, did I say that? No. I didn’t. So mouth shut and ears open and let’s do this, got it!?”

Angus stumbled out and towards his room when the lesson was over, and I stretched, loving the sweet relief of joints popping. Kid was wound so tight, it was a surprise he could even bend at the knees. That could be a problem.


	3. Winding Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's one thing that Angus isn't great at. He just needs some coaching.

The next lesson had to wait anyway, because we were sent off to Refuge, and there’s Angus firing us out of the cannon, ready to crumble. Couldn’t Avi have found someone else to do that? Sure Angus can. Kid can do anything. Doesn’t mean he should, I’m just saying. Then we came back, and… fuck, that was some heavy shit down there. Hit us all pretty hard. Magnus was the worst. Somebody should talk to him. Somebody else.

It felt like months had passed, but of course we were only in the bubble for about 45 minutes. Doesn’t matter, I was planning on sleeping through the next week or two anyway, only pausing to debrief with the Director and head to Fantasy Costco and the Fantasy Gashapon. But sure enough, that insistent, nervous knock came at the usual time.

“S-sir? Sir, it’s… it’s magic day, and I know you’ve been recovering – I can go away if you’re not up to it, sir, but I just wanted to show you that I’m working really hard, and I think it’s going well, and… and I wanted to… to see… um… if you were okay, sir!” He didn’t take a breath that entire time, even through the pauses. I was just going to stay quiet and pretend I wasn’t there, but he caught his breath and continued. “And I know… I know you like your space, sir, but I just wanted to check in, just really fast, and, um… just see how you are, and… well, I’m casting Detect Magic right now, and wow, sir, you sure are magical!”

I got up with a groan and dragged myself to the door. I wasn’t gonna put any effort into my face for him, maybe that would scare the little pest off. But there he was when I opened the door, with his dumb eager smile, missing a tooth, shaking with excitement.

“Hello, sir! It’s – it’s so good to see you, really! I was… I was so worried, I thought… when I f-fired you out of the c-c-cannon…” He trailed off and gulped, staring at his feet. Maybe it wasn’t all excitement.

I exhaled slowly, and grabbed his shoulder, leading him in. “All right, kiddo. Magic day. C’mon in and show me what you’ve got.”

I sat cross-legged on the bed, trying to keep my eyes open, and watched him go through his tiny collection of spells. His wand hung from a stupid lanyard under his shirt. He was shaking a bit, and his back was stiff, and after each spell he’d quickly stop and mumble to himself, then try once more before moving on to the next spell, getting more and more agitated. When his Fireball spell fizzled out and tears came to his eyes, I shook my head.

“Ango, stop. Stop. That’s enough.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry sir, I can do this, I’ve been d-doing all my spells… every… every day, just fine, I…” He gasped for breath and swallowed hard, trying not to cry.

“Listen, Agnes. I’ve actually got something to teach you today. Something different that you’ve never done before in your life. I’ve been putting it off, but I think now’s the time.” With a sigh, I jumped up and pulled out the Pocket Spa, tossing it on the floor and letting it set itself up. Angus stared, tears streaming silently down his face. “Come on! Bring your swim shorts next time, we can have some jacuzzi time.”

The kid stared, kind of leaning to the side, then wiped his face on his sleeves and followed me into the spa. The fountain flowed, the mud bath bubbled gently, and the juice bar was stocked. I settled on a pile of cushions. Boy wonder was standing just inside the doorway, looking around, chewing his lip.

“I… I don’t understand, sir…”

“I think we’ll start with meditation. It’s a useful skill, Ango. But no reason we can’t take care of ourselves a bit in the meantime. C’mon, c’mon, take off your shoes and get over here.”

I kicked off my sandals and scooted over to the jacuzzi, splashing my feet around in the water. “Over here. I haven’t got all day, and I don’t want dirty feet in my mud bath.”

Angus stared, then carefully took off his shoes and crept over to sit near me.

“There you go. Feet in the water, now! Move it!”

He did, quickly. “Sir, I… I’m sorry, I have no idea what… what’s happening right now. What are we doing here?”

“Agnes, you’re used to being good at things, I can tell. And there are plenty of things you’re good at – detectiving, magic, the exact texture of a macaron… but listen, you’ve got to accept that there are still some things you need to work on.”

The boy was staring at his feet. “I… I know that, sir,” he said quietly. “I know I’m not good at everything, and I’m just a little boy, so… so there’s a lot I can’t do. I – I do try my hardest, though! I do everything I can, and… and I know I can get better, I know I can be good enough!” He swiped some more tears from his eyes.

“Well now, we’ll see.” I pulled up my feet and dried them off carefully, then handed him another fluffy towel. He quickly followed suit. “I know how good you are at… learning and working and trying and… all that.” My hand waved in a lazy circle as I spoke. “What you’re not good at is relaxing.”

That produced a blank stare. “…What?”

“Relaxing, Angus. Chilling. Resting. That kinda thing. Ring a bell?”

“I… I do that, sir!” he protested. “All the time!”

“Oh yeah? What do you do?”

“Well mostly I read – the Bureau has such an extensive library, sir, I can’t believe it’s not full of people all the time, and it’s all so interesting! I’m learning so much!”

“…Mhm.”

“And sometimes I just curl up and reread my Caleb Cleveland books, or some other books I brought from home. B-but I don’t spend too much time on that, don’t worry! I know this is… a great opportunity for me, and I won’t waste it, not even a minute! I’ll work so hard, sir, and I’ll… and I’ll…”

His words caught in his throat, and those big, teary eyes stared up at me, and before I knew it my hand was on his round little cheek.

“Bubbeleh, listen to me. Look at my face. You… are fucking amazing.” He laughed a little through his tears, but it was a sad sound. “And how old are you now, still ten?”

“S-still ten, sir. I’ll be eleven soon.”

“Well, doesn’t time fly? We’ll have to celebrate. But either way, you’re still just a little flesh-boy, hm? Gotta take… gotta take care of yourself. Because listen, who else is gonna do that for you? Who else can you count on in the end? Nobody, that’s who. Gotta do it yourself.”

It took me a minute of the boy just staring at me with horror and betrayal to realize that Life Lessons with Taako had fallen flat. Time for a new tactic. I slapped the kid’s head gently and shook my head. “So serious all the time, Agnes! I just meant stay hydrated and get some sleep when you need it. And you know what? Laugh once in a while! It’ll help!”

“Th… that was just a goof,” he whispered, still trembling.

“Oh – listen, yes. Of course. Good one, you got it in one, very good. Now just – you can’t meditate if you’re crying. Take a deep breath – no, not quite, try again. Don’t stop until I tell you. Now! Deeeeeeeeeeeeep breath in… and hold it… aaaaaaaand out, very slow, very sloooooooooooooow. There, now try that again! You’re looking better already.” As I coached him through breathing, I dabbed his face dry with another towel. I wonder how the laundry here gets done, because I certainly am not here to wash, dry, fluff, and fold. “Very good. And one more. In… hold it… and out. Good!”

“T-th-thank you, sir,” he mumbled, still sniffling a little, but much calmer now. …And not leaking from any orifices, that was important. “I’m sorry, I just got… a little emotional.”

“Mmm! Feel better now?”

“Y-yes, sir! I think I’m ready to continue now.”

“Good.” There’s that feeling when your face slides from something neutral to a truly evil smirk, there’s nothing like it, but you never lose it. Angus didn’t have time to react before I was tickling him. Sides, belly, under the arms, soles of the feet, around the neck, under the chin. He squeaked, then shrieked with high-pitched little boy laughter, trying to swat my hands away, trying to escape, but laughing too hard. After a moment I relented, grinning widely.

“You gonna make it, Ango? Gonna survive? Need a cleric?”

“N-n-no sir, I… I mean, yes sir, I’ll survive!” He burst out laughing again. “I – what are you doing!?”

I froze. I figured he might not like being tickled – plenty of people don’t. But to not even know what it was? My first instinct was to tease him about it.

“S-sorry, sir, was that a goof too?” He looked so confused now, and his wild bliss was fading back into uncertain worry. Time to act. Taako rushes in.

“It’s called tickling, and I can’t believe you don’t know what it is!” I set on him again, and he was breathless with laughter, rolling around on the floor. “Don’t just lie there flopping like a fish, fight back!”

He froze, then, but only for a fraction of a second before his short little arms shot out to tickle me. He didn’t know the right spots, and half the time it was just scratching or rubbing, but it was good enough. I paused to let him breathe every few minutes, but we spent a good half hour rolling around on the floor, just tickling each other and laughing until our faces and stomachs hurt. Finally we just lay on our backs, spread out and panting. I looked over and nudged him, and we shared a grin when he looked back.  
“Now… now that’s more like it! Whew!” He nodded, still smiling. “Relaxation step one, complete!” I held up my hand for a high five, and he returned it a little sloppily. “…We’ll work on that part. For now, let’s get our feet dirty.”

I rolled to my feet, and he scrambled after me, and we went to the mud bath. It was a pit in the floor with a bench big enough for two skinny people, full almost to the top with a silky soft black mud. The floor in most of the spa was bamboo, but around this it was ceramic tile, probably for easy cleaning. The tiles were colorful, at least, and I plopped gracefully down at the side. Angus sat down, looking down doubtfully at the mud.

“Now, our feet are clean and we’re both loosened up, so it’s time for mud and meditation.”

“Sir?”

“Just listen. We’re just going to stick our feet in the mud for… twenty minutes or so. While we do that, we’ll work on meditating. The biggest thing is to clear your mind – and let me stop you before you even think about that, it was hard for me to learn, and I feel like it’ll be even harder for you, pumpkin. But it’ll happen. Got it? You’ve got a lot of thoughts in that precious little head of yours, all poking at you for attention. Ignore them. This is Angus time, not thought time.”

He started to say something, then stopped, eyes glazing over for a second. “But… but what… even am I without… thoughts, sir?”

“Angus, that is far too philosophical for our spa time,” I admonished, and tickled at his neck until he giggled. “There. Without thoughts, you’re Angus. Not the Boy Detective, not the apprentice wizard, not the Bureau employee. Not even a son, grandson, whatever else you might be. Just Angus, got that? That’s all you have to be right now. And that’s all I want you to be in here.”

He definitely looked worried. “I… I don’t understand.”

“Nevermind. Clear your mind – like I said, there are all these thoughts that want your attention. Well you’ve got better things to do, my man. They can wait. Now the easiest way to start, I’ve found, is to find the small things and focus on those. In a minute here, we’ll stick our feet in the mud. Focus on the squish and the softness. The music. The scented candles. Breathing – that’s important, you do need to keep doing that. Focus on those things. Then one by one, tune them out, until it’s just you, breathing. If you try to think of something else, just focus on one of your senses. Got it?”

The boy nodded slowly, looking a bit panicked.

“Good. Feet in the mud.”

“Gosh, I don’t want to get anything dirty,” Angus mumbled as he reluctantly obeyed.

“Well, your shoes are safe, you’ve got those pleated grandpa shorts, and we’ll wash off before we leave, right? No sweat, my dude.” My feet went in the soft warm mud, and I sighed, ears drooping. “All right, now get comfortable. And just breathe.”

I straightened my back slowly, feeling the soft pops and cracks. Stretched my arms, then let my hands settle into a loose meditation position. Rolled my shoulders back three times. Let my chin dip down just a bit. But instead of going into a full meditative trance, I watched Angus.

He kept twitching and fidgeting, shifting his weight around, glancing over in what he thought was a subtle way, but it was easy to catch him even with my eyes closed.

“You’re doing fine, bubbeleh,” I murmured after a few minutes. “Remember, just your physical senses.”

“I – I’m trying sir, really.” He laughed nervously. “M-my… my father would… would have something to say about this, for sure!”

I caught the little shiver down his back. “…You don’t have anyone to worry about here. Nobody’s son, remember? Just Angus. Just Angus and Taako here, and we can do what we want. And right now we’re doing this, got it?”

“Y-yes sir.” There was a strangled little gulp and a deep breath. “Thank you for… for being patient with me.”

“Kid, I – I… Listen, you’re doing fine. Don’t even worry about it.”

“Really, sir?”

“Really. Now shut up and breathe.”

Angus McDonald, for all his stellar qualities, did not take naturally to meditation. He did try, though, and I think he improved just a bit, so it wasn’t a complete loss. After twenty minutes or so, I sighed and lifted my feet up slowly.

“All right, that’s it for today. Time to rinse off and enjoy the softest feet you’ve had since you started crawling.”

Angus jerked out of a doze. “Ah! Already? I… I think I was starting to get it, sir!”

“Sure you were, kid. I could see it. Now get yourself dry and run along, you don’t want to miss lunch.”

“Should… should I try those spells again, sir?”

I rolled my eyes. “I know you can do ‘em. That wasn’t today’s lesson. Keep practicing every day, though, and listen, work on meditating, too. Because that’s not a one-time thing, we’re gonna be doing more of that whenever there’s time. And I’ll tell you, this is more important than magic any day.”

“…Really?” Angus asked doubtfully, drying his feet carefully after rinsing off.

“You saw what happened when you tried to cast when you weren’t relaxed. You’ll do even worse if you work yourself into a panic attack, or faint or something.” Pan forbid. I’d have to do something about that.

“Y-yes, sir. Thank you for… just… thanks.” His smile was shy, but just the most fucking radiant thing on the moon.

“Go eat something, I’ll be right behind you.”

I took a little longer to get my feet suitably dry, then I got up slowly, stretching again, and strolled out of the spa, wrapping it up again with a gesture. This was definitely good for the kid. Good for me too, actually. I haven’t felt this relaxed in a while. Maybe we should make this a thing. Magic day, and then chillax day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all I've got for now, though more may appear later! Thanks for reading!


	4. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know a wrestling match isn't a good enough birthday present.

The wrestling match ended up being better than I expected – not really my thing, but okay just once. Turns out it was Ango’s birthday, though? And he didn’t say anything until we got there! So of course he had to get some merchandise, even if it wasn’t anything really great. I waited a while before going to knock on his door when we got back.

“Y-yes? Hold on just a second!” I heard the soft thumps of socked feet, and Angus opened the door, blinking in the light. “Sir! Did you need something?”

I poked him in the chest. “Sure did! Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”

“Oh! Um, well, it’s… it’s not important, and you guys had a lot to do, I didn’t want to…” He trailed off with a shrug, staring down past my legs.

“Nope, that’s no excuse, bubbo. We would’ve done something better than that if we’d known!”

“I – I know! But I didn’t want you to… make such a big deal out of it. It’s just me, sir. Just another year.” He grinned at me, his old-man-with-a-baby’s-face expression.

“You’re how old now, eighty-seven?” I ruffled his already messy hair.

“Eleven, sir!” He giggled.

“If you say so. Well listen, today’s pretty much over, but we’ve got tomorrow to work with. My schedule’s clear. What do you want to do?”

“…Do? Um… Gosh, sir, we don’t have to do anything, really.”

“Nuh-uh, we’re doing something. No escaping it. Anything in the world, Angus. What do you want?”

He was quiet, fiddling with his fingers. “S-sir, I already had a great time tonight,” he mumbled.

“You bet you did, kiddo! That was a damn fine Mage Hand you did there! Pretty impressive!”

His face was deep red now, but he was grinning widely. “I – thank you, sir, I’ve been practicing.”

“It shows! Um… listen, I’ve always felt like… stuff like this was pretty fake, but… I’m, uh… I’m… really proud of you. Agnes. Just – yeah. That was great.”

He looked up, and of course he was about to cry. “You really mean it?” he whispered.

“I said it, didn’t I?” I snapped. This was getting to be too much. “I also said we’re doing something for your birthday. Tomorrow. Got it? So think about what you want.”

“I don’t want to be a bother,” he mumbled.

“You know what’s bothering me, kid? Missing your birthday. Not getting to do something you’d really want to do. That was fun today, but wrestling’s not really your thing, is it?”

“N-not usually,” he breathed.

“Exactly. Me either. So tomorrow we’ll do something kickass, got it? Whatever you want. You’ve got all night to think about it, so make it good.” Before he could move, or more likely, before I could think, I swept him up in my arms, hugging him close to me as I strode across the room to his bed. He squawked and struggled for a second before holding on as tight as he could. I set him carefully on the bed, and held him for a moment.

“…All right. You’re fine. We’re all tired, just… just get some sleep. Eleven’s too young to stay up this late.” I patted him awkwardly.

“I love you, sir,” he mumbled into my robe.

“Right. Just… just get to sleep. And… happy birthday.” He let me go and I immediately backed away, an odd twisting sensation in the pit of my stomach.

I tried to make a cake, gods, I must have made dozens that night. Some barely became batter. Some made it all the way out of the oven. I kept thinking how I shouldn’t be doing this at all. I can’t do this. I didn’t poison Glamour Springs, though. I’ve never poisoned anyone, my food is perfectly safe. But I did hand them poison, feed it to them, watch as they started dying. But it wasn’t my fault. But even then, I ran as soon as they started to die. I ran and never looked back. What could I do, I’m no cleric! I’m – I was barely a wizard! No, let’s be real, I wasn’t a wizard, I could do like two things. I mean, as long as I don’t try to mix the two again, it should be safe, right? No, that just won’t do. I’m not doing this, I’m not taking the chance, I’ll buy the kid a cake a fucking Fantasy Costco – no, I’ll go to a real bakery, no need to be tacky. It still won’t be as good as what I could make. I could do so much better if I just did it myself –

Fuck.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

So, first off, I was expecting to get first crack at the kid in the morning. But Magnus likes to get an early start of things, and took Ango out to explore this ‘Mystery Spot’ in the Sword Mountains’ foothills. Just a little area where gravity’s weird, no big deal, really. No big mystery there, the world’s just different all over, that’s all. I figured he’d want to go to some big library or something when he got back. They were both grinning and sweaty when they got back.

“There you are! I was beginning to think you’d both fallen off a cliff or something – you’ve only got one brain between you, and it’s all in one body.” I gave Angus’s head a definitive pat. Magnus just laughed good-naturedly.

“That was great, Ango, we’ve gotta do that more often! And we’ll work on your melee skills for next time, okay? Just in case we run into some gerblins!”

“R-right, sir!” Kid didn’t seem so sure about that, but he’s a good sport. And honestly? Not my thing, but it’d do him good to have Magnus toughen him up a little.

“Next time, though, next time. Now shoo!” Magnus laughed while I pushed him away.

“Okay, okay, your turn! See ya, Ango!”

“Goodbye, sir! Thank you!”

“Now!” I drew myself up to my full wizardly height and stared down at the boy. “What are we doing today?”

“Um – well, sir, I know it’s a little late, but have you eaten lunch yet?”

Just ignore the slight tightening of my stomach. This had better not be going where I think it is. “Nope, not that hungry.”

“Oh! Well… I was thinking… could I make us something? I haven’t eaten either, I told Magnus I wanted to cook something f-for you, and he said… he said he thought that’d be a great idea!”

I bet he did. “Sure, Agnes. If you want.”

“I do, sir! I’ve been planning it all morning! Do… do you want to come watch, or do you want me to tell you when I’m done?”

“Eh. I guess I’ll go. Can’t promise I’ll watch, though.”

“Thank you, sir! The cooks should be finished with their work by now, and they let me use the kitchen whenever I want.”

“Umm… so look, that kitchen? It’s a cafeteria. Made for making massive quantities of mediocre food. If you want to make something good, you need better facilities, get me? C’mon down to our kitchen.”

“Really, sir? Ah – okay! Hold on, just let me grab some of the supplies I need!”

“Use a Mage Hand, don’t drop anything.” He ran off towards the cafeteria, and I headed down to our apartment.

Merle was out visiting his kids, which he still thinks nobody knows about, but honestly, I’m not stupid.

“Hey, Meat-head!”

“What?” Magnus is like a prairie-dog, popping up whenever he hears something.

“Agnes needs a kitchen. You had your time. Go do… whatever it is you do when you’re not here.” I waved him away.

“Kiddo’s got quite a menu in mind for you! Gonna save me the leftovers?”

“Pssht, what leftovers? Out, out! Go on, go!”

He scrambled out, laughing. Dork.

Soon enough Boy Wonder was cooking up a storm. It was hard not to jump in – he was uncertain, but meticulously careful, all textbook technique without a lick of imagination. Not my style, no flair at all. But I restrained myself. His eyes were glued to a recipe the whole time, it looked like he’d copied it from a book. And I mean, he was doing fine, for someone who had to follow a recipe.

“You want to stir that sauce faster, Agnes. Consistent and fast over a medium heat,” I said lazily.

“What?” He stopped altogether, and I stepped over to snatch the spoon from his hand and grab a whisk.

“This’ll work better. Listen, how about I do the whisking, you do the rest? No cooking, I’m not adding anything to it, promise.” Though I could think of at least three spices and five herbs that would’ve improved the dish, a kind of stir fry with a sour sauce.

“Sir, I can do it!” he protested, reaching for the whisk.

“So can I.” I stepped in front of him and bumped him with my hip, and he stumbled a bit. He’d probably start crying now.

Except he didn’t. He frowned like an old man for another couple seconds, then suddenly smiled a little like he had a secret. “Okay, sir. If you really want to. Thanks for the help!”

…Yeah, I knew what he was doing. But stirring isn’t gonna kill anybody. And what the kitchen was really missing was panache. I started to sway, then wiggle and dance, and Angus giggled as he watched.

“C’mon, kid, get into it!”

“I – sir, I don’t know…”

“Agnes? Agnes, I’ve got a nice sauce going here! You wouldn’t want to ruin it, would you, Angie? Just you and me, and I’m already dancing. You look a lot dumber just standing there, believe me!”

So he kind of swayed from side to side awkwardly, but after a while I coaxed him into it, and you know? …He was just as terrible as I expected. Kid has no sense of rhythm whatsoever. Good thing he doesn’t want to be a bard.

Anyway, we sat down when it was done (after just a pinch from my No-Sodium Salt Shaker – just in case), and he told me about his morning with Magnus. Now there’s a guy who’s good with kids. Sounds like they had fun, even if it wasn’t anything really wild.

“Mm.” I chewed slowly, gazing off over his shoulder. He watched anxiously. “Well, it’s… it’s not bad, Angus. Not restaurant quality or anything, you understand. Got any interest in becoming a real chef?”

“Ah – not really, sir, though I do like developing new skills!”

“Good. I mean, it’s decent, really. And it’s a useful skill to have, knowing how to make something edible. Just – well, work on recipes, I guess, but then you should branch out. Make your own dishes.”

“Maybe some day, sir.” He smiled bashfully. Cute.

When we finished, I piled the dishes in the sink and turned to Angus. “So I hope that wasn’t it, because I know there’s more you want to do than that. What’ll it be, hm? Library? Book store? Museum?”

“Well – those all sound very nice, sir, but I was wondering, actually, if you knew where to find any dragons.”

Dragons? What the hell? “Where are you going with this, bucko?”

“Um – well I’ve been reading about them, and they’re just fascinating creatures, sir! They’re so intelligent, and I’d love to see one – I know they’re very dangerous, I understand that, but we could just look from a distance, right? Unless you know of any that are… friendly? Or at least less… unfriendly? Or maybe you could show me how to charm one?” He smiled, clenching his little fists hopefully.

“Ah – wow, that’s… not quite what I was expecting. Can’t say I know of any… friendly dragons.”

“That’s – I wasn’t really expecting that, sir. Talking to a dragon, well that would be just incredible! Think of how much knowledge they have of… well, just about anything! But I know it’s really not very realistic most of the time. Um. But you’re so skilled in… in wizardly magics, sir, isn’t there some way you could… at least get us close to one safely?”

“I didn’t know you were so into huge, crabby reptiles.”

“I’m into everything, sir!” Gods, he’s so serious, so intense about literally everything.

“…Okay, okay. Gimme a minute to think.” Plenty of dragons out there, just have to pick one, really. Hmm. “Oh. Ohhh, I know a place.”

“You do!?”

“Sure do! C’mon, let’s have Avi get us a bubble.”

“Sir, when I first got here, Avi gave me a sip from his flask,” Angus whispered conspiratorially as he trotted after me to the elevator. “He said it’d help.”

“Me too!”

“I threw up.”

“Huh.”

Once Avi had the coordinates, and we were hurtling through the air in the bubble, I stretched across two seats. “Now the goal here is stealth, got it, Ango? There’ll be a lot going on, and we don’t want to make a scene.”

He nodded hard. “Should we cast Greater Invisibility? Silence?”

“Not bad ideas if these weren’t dragons, but I think mainly we just need to step lightly and keep our voices down. Think rogue, not wizard.”

“B-but we’re not rogues, sir, and I went to one of Miss Carey’s rogue lessons with Magnus, and I, um, I wasn’t very good at it.”

“…Well, there’s no time like the present to get better, right? You’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

We landed at the edge of a large desert, and we headed off towards what seemed to be a small dark cloud ahead, with Angus trotting along as usual. It was a long walk, but we had to land far away, and I wanted to save my spell slots. Just in case. I just strolled along with the Umbrastaff keeping off the sun.

Angus was huffing and puffing by the time we got close. “W-wow, sir! Look at them all! Are those… dragons?”

“Pseudodragons,” I corrected him. A whole swarm of pseudodragons, each about the size of a cat, was swirling around, hunting birds and lizards, sunning themselves on rocks, and squawking. “Now it’s okay if they see us – they could sense us anyway, we don’t want them to decide they have to bring us out of hiding. Just don’t startle them.”

“D-do you think –“ Angus froze as an especially small dragon zipped down to circle over his head. “Sir!” he hissed. “What should I do?”

“Stay still. Breathe. You’re bigger than it is.”

He was as still as a statue as the little reptile investigated him, then trilled for its friends to join it. Soon a whole cloud of them were checking us out. I flicked one in the nose when it got in my face.

“Pretty awesome, huh?”

Angus nodded furiously, carefully scratching one under the chin as it stretched out its neck to him.

“This is nothing. Wanna see the real attraction?”

He looked over and nodded even harder, and I grinned, jerking my head towards the center of the main swarm, and set off walking that way, slow and calm, humming softly to myself. Angus followed, trying to walk slowly and keep up at the same time.

“Remember all that meditating we’ve done?” I asked casually, rocking the Umbrastaff back and forth on my shoulder.

“It’s only been a few times, sir, but I’ve been practicing, I promise!”

“Good, good. We’re gonna do some advanced meditation now. Meditate while we’re walking. Now you want a slow, steady gait. We’re not in a hurry, we’ll get there when we get there. Nice even breathing. And a calm mind, that’s the key. Doesn’t have to be completely clear, just calm.”

“What – um… Can you… can you be more specific?” His voice cracked a little. That’ll be happening more and more soon, I’m sure.

“Yeah. Think happy thoughts. Peaceful things.” We walked for a bit, and his pace was still stiff and halting. “…Okay, let’s try something else. Gimme your hand.” He hesitantly took my hand, and I gave it an experimental swing. “Gonna be harder with you being almost as short and stubby as Merle, but we’ll make do.” I started swinging our hands, slow and easy, in a metered rhythm. “Just relax and let it happen, kid. Now watch our feet.” I slowed my pace to match his, and after a few tries, matched my footfalls with his. “Just – just relax, we’re walking in sync. Easier than dancing, right? Listen, you know this song?” I started up humming again, and after a minute he nodded, face deep in concentration. “Good. Hum along.”

I’m gonna be honest, it was a struggle every step of the way. He needed a few hand-squeezes to get him through, but we made it to an area where the pseudodragons were thick, and there were huge gray boulders buried in the sand. We stopped before getting too close, but I kept humming and so did he, uncertainly.

“…Sir, what is this?” he finally whispered.

“You wanted to see a dragon.” I pointed (not with the Umbrastaff, not taking any chances here) to an oddly-shaped boulder with a curved line in it about as long as Merle was tall. “See that?” I whispered, leaning down next to the boy’s ear.

He nodded.

“…That’s its eye.”

He covered a gasp, and his eyes got huge, and he squeezed my hand tight. “Oh – oh my god, sir!!”

“It’s got a strong thrall, even asleep – and this guy’s been asleep for decades. It just attracts the little guys, but still. Pretty impressive, huh?”

“What happens if it wakes up?”

“I dunno. Want to find out?”

He stared for a long moment before whispering, “I do, actually, sir. Is… is that the thrall?”

“Could be. Best to stay back, Agnes. We’re good out here. Anyway, there’s your birthday dragon. Happy now?”

“That’s – honestly, sir, I thought it was just the little ones, and I’d’ve been happy even with that!”

“Hmph, do I ever do things just halfway?”

“All the time, sir, would you like some examples?”

“What do you think?”

He just grinned. Smartass.

“Right, well, enough standing here staring at giant lizards while we bake in the sun. We should get you a cake on the way back.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, then nodded. “Okay, sir!”

He’d rather have something I made, and of course it would be better, and my stomach was just a cold knot as I turned to lead him away. Then all hell broke loose.

All the pseudodragons leapt into the air and started flying in a spiral. Angus grabbed my hand again, and the Umbrastaff vibrated. I squeezed them both. “Time to go!”

We’d have to get well clear of the dragons to summon a bubble safely. And we’d gotten about a hundred feet when the ground rumbled and shook.

“Aah! Sir, look!”

I chanced a look over my shoulder, and the ground, the rocks, the dragon was rising. Up it came like an ancient earth spirit, sand streaming down from it, and it was massive. And in the moment we both turned to look, the enormous tail slapped down right in our path.

Great. Just fucking fantastic.

“What do we do, sir?” Angus was trembling, wand gripped tightly.

“We do not attack it, that’s very important. Listen, I’m going to get you out of here, then I’m going to follow you, okay? But this is important, you have to run. Don’t stop, don’t look back, do not try to fight anything. Got it?”

“Y-you have to come with me, sir!”

“I’ll be right behind you. No heroism here, promise. Not my style. Now run straight through that tail.”

“What!?”

I was already casting Gaseous Form, and gave him a good push just before it took. He stumbled and blew right through the tail.

It took a bit of time to cast Blink, and I couldn’t see through the tail, so I just watched the little pseudodragons freaking out for a minute. Then the big guy was completely out, and he turned, tail lifting away. Angus was there, not nearly as far as I’d like him to be, and I made a break for it.

“Go, go, what are you doing, just go!”

“Oh!” He stood frozen in place, staring behind me and pointing. He didn’t look terrified, though, so I chanced a look over my shoulder once I reached him.

The immense beast had rocked back so its front legs were stretched out completely in front of it, and its giant rear end was up in the air. There were massive popping sounds. Then it stretched forward, extending its back legs behind it, tail stretching behind it. Then it straightened up and shook itself, the last bits of sand flying everywhere. The tail thrashed like a whip behind it, and finally it stretched out its great wings, and flapped them hard. I pulled my hat down to keep the dust out of my face, but quickly pulled it up again when the earth shook once more. The dragon flopped down on its side and curled up again with a gusty sigh.

Slowly the pseudodragons began to calm down and settle onto the dragon, calling softly to one another. I felt a slight breeze on my arm.

“…Sir? This is a really neat spell. How long does it last?”

“Let’s, uh… let’s just leave it for now, bubbeleh. Get a little farther out before we call a bubble, hm? Come on, show’s over.” As I walked briskly away, Angus flitted around, enjoying his time as a flying gas boy.

“That was amazing, sir. Thanks so much for taking me to see it! How did you wake the big dragon up safely?”

“That’s like a ninth level wizard secret, kiddo.”

“…Because it looked like he just wanted to roll over.”

“Well look who’s Mr. Dragon Expert now!” We were far enough away, and I touched my bracer and squinted at the sky.

“I guess the Director wouldn’t like dragons on the moon any more than she’d like dogs,” he muttered to himself thoughtfully.

“I think that big guy could swallow the moon in two gulps.”

“No no, I just meant the little ones! They were really cute.”

“Oh. Nah, her ‘no pets’ policy’s pretty strict, Magnus tries to get around it all the time. He’s just gonna have to wait until we’re done up there and move on with our lives planetside.”

The boy got quiet until the bubble appeared in the sky. “…Sir, what are you gonna do when you’ve collected all the Grand Relics?”

“Well, I figure I’ll go back on the road. Start up my cooking show again.” I shrugged easily as I stopped the Gaseous Form and he turned solid, though it made my stomach knot up to think about.

“Oh. I… I don’t know what I’ll do. My grandpa’s dead now, and…” He trailed off, looking down as he climbed into the bubble after me.

“Well listen, first of all, you’re gonna have a buttload of people fighting over who gets to keep you. And then don’t think you’re off the hook for your magic lessons – you’re not a wizard yet, bubbo. And I know Magnus wants to teach you to be a fighter too, and Carey wants you to be a rogue, which are both pretty sub-par career choices if you ask me, but a little toughening up and expanding your horizons couldn’t hurt as long as you don’t waste too much time there.”

I looked over, and he was just sitting there smiling, blinking back tears.

“So… so yeah, no worries there.” The bubble took off back to the moon, and he leaned over and hugged me quickly, before I could lean away too far.

“Thank you, sir. This was the best birthday ever.”

I let him do his thing for a minute before pushing him back. “Yeah, yeah, it’s not even your birthday. You better say something beforehand next year, because this? Last-minute plans a day late? Not okay. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

There ended up being food and cake and a few more gifts when we got back, then I headed back to my room to work while – honestly, I don’t know, the rest of them can do whatever they want. Who cares? But I came out again when it was late, and slipped into Angus’s room, putting a little box on his night stand. I paused before leaving, looking down at his curly head poking out from the blankets. He’d fallen asleep holding a book. Not surprising.

“You awake, Ango?” I whispered. No response. “Angus?” I said a little louder. Nothing. Well. Safe enough.

“Love ya.” If nobody hears it, it never happened.

He popped up in bed quicker than I could jump back and threw his arms around me.

“I love you, sir! Thank you so much for everything today, and for teaching me, and –“

“Aaahhhhh, no, stop, get off! You little sneak, you tricked me!” I shoved him off me, back into bed. “Go to sleep! …Open your box, then go to sleep, and don’t talk to me!” I was gone before I finished the sentence. What a jerk! He probably just lies there waiting for someone to come in and whisper something private every night.

He’d better appreciate how much work I put into transmuting and animating a miniature dragon for him, because that’s all the effort I’m putting into him. No more of that. Not for a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> This was kind of an introduction, the next couple chapters will be longer and more interesting!


End file.
